House GOP spending bills pack billions in earmarks, sparking backlash from fiscal hawks

By Fox News · Fox News

Three spending bills up for consideration in the House of Representatives this week bring with them billions in add-ons that fiscal conservatives believe go against Republicans’ promises of trimming federal overspending. Republican bills for Commerce, Justice, and Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment will come to the floor for consideration on Thursday — three of the 12 needed bills to fund the government in FY 2026. In addition to funding their respective parts of the government, the package includes $6.5 billion in earmarks, unrelated funding that is included at the request of a lawmaker. CONGRESS ROLLS OUT $174B SPENDING BILL AS JAN 30 SHUTDOWN FEARS GROW Members of both parties have earmarks included in Thursday’s legislation. Republicans banned earmarks over a decade ago, but the practice was brought back by Democrats in 2021 under the guise of "community projects." Although getting earmarks onto spending packages now includes heightened scrutiny, fiscal Republicans maintain the practice continues to allow Congress to pass unnecessary expenses that add up. The bill for the Interior and Environment carries more than $1.7 billion in earmarks. Funding in the Energy and Water bill has over $3 billion, and legislation for Commerce, Justice, and Science includes another $1.7 billion. Across the three bills, the legislation carries more than 3,000 individual items. Lawmakers like Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, slammed the bills for including items like a $1 million fund for Generation Hope — a Somali-led organization in Minnesota that helps communities combat drug addiction. "This is a perfect example of why Congress needs to abandon earmarks now!" Lee wrote in a post to X. DEMOCRATS' LAST-MINUTE MOVE TO BLOCK GOP FUNDING PLAN SENDS LAWMAKERS HOME EARLY Lee’s alarm comes as investigators at the local and federal levels have uncovered widespread fraud schemes in Minnesota — many of which prosecutors say are run by individuals of Somali descent.…